The First Federal Court in Texas Sam Houston One district, one court, one judge, all located in Galveston James K. Polk appoints John C. Watrous on May 26, 1846 -Same congressional act that made Texas A State -Former Attorney General of the Republic of Texas -Nearly impeached

Split into Two Districts Feb 21, 1857: Texas Divided into Eastern and Western Districts -Thomas H. Du. Val appointed for W. D. Tex. -Both Watrous and Du. Val stepped down rather than serve the Confederacy -Resumed duties when Texas restored to the Union Plains of West Texas East Texas Pines

The Confederate Court William Pinckney Hill appointed by Jefferson Davis in 1861 • Moved court from Galveston to Houston in Jan. 1862 for safety • Focus on Sequestration Act and war-related matters • Treason Indictments The Battle of Galveston 1862

Formation of the Southern District • Teddy Roosevelt signed bill on March 4, 1902 • District court sat in four cities: Galveston, Laredo, Brownsville, and Houston

Timeline of District Formation 1846: The District of Texas is created February 21, 1857: Eastern & Western Districts are created March 4, 1902: The Southern District is created. It includes the Brownsville, Galveston, Houston, and Laredo Districts. 1906: The Victoria Division is created 1912: The Corpus Christi Division is created 1984: The Mc. Allen Division is created

Prohibition “I have been in actual touch with the Liquor situation in Houston for three years now, and I know that the enforcement here has been only indifferent. ” – Letter from Harris County DA to Attorney General

The Great Depression

World War II Condemnation Actions • • • Corpus Christi Naval Air Station acquired in 1940 256 actions filed between January 1942 and June 1946 Land value disputes over subsurface oil

1980 s: The Oil Bust and the S&L Crisis

Notable Judges

Growth of the District There are 19 congressionally authorized district judgeships today